When we read fiction, we sometimes forget it’s all a pack of lies. Many fledgling writers are encouraged to “write what they know” but how much of truth is true? This question will be answered at a panel discussion at this year's Sydney Writers' Festival, proudly supported by UNSW Arts & Social Sciences.

Andrew Schultz's August Offensive will be performed as part of the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra's Anzac Tribute. Andrew is an acclaimed Australian composer and Head of UNSW School of the Arts & Media. Written in response to a commission from the Department of Veterans' Affairs and premiered in Gallipoli in 2013,August Offensive is a musical memorial to one of the same war's most horrific battles.

Even dedicated theatregoers often struggle to name more than a handful of classic Australian plays, according to John McCallum, Senior Lecturer in Theatre at UNSW and Theatre Critic for The Australian.